So, a recent poll by TruckNetUK has revealed the majority of professional truck drivers feel the Driver CPC training courses currently on offer have little or no value to them.

“Do you believe that the Government’s Driver CPC training initiative will make you a better, more informed driver?”

That was the question put to the respondents and an overwhelming 75 percent answered no. So why are drivers and employers being forced to put their own time and money into this scheme if it doesn’t work? (The European Union legislation states that every professional lorry and bus driver must gain an extra qualification every 5 years to make sure they are still competent enough to be behind the wheel of a large vehicle.)

Jason Vallint, AA DriveTech Business Development Director, thinks there is value to these courses – they make drivers smarter, safer and more economical – but the quality of teachers is letting us down. We ask: how is this happening if all Driver CPC courses have to be accredited by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT)? If the Government is going to impose training on the industry, then it better well make sure the training on offer is up to scratch!

Last month, the Freight Transport Association’s National Council concluded the transport industry needs a checklist to establish what a good Driver CPC looks like. With the deadline for when this legislation comes into effect in sight – two years to go for freight drivers and just 12 months for bus and coach drivers – it is imperative the Government acts now.

And, the quality of training isn’t the only thing we’re battling against. Yet another HGV training brokerage has seemingly disappeared, their pockets lined with the money of hopeful truckers who had paid for courses they never received. Quick Pass LGV, run by 26-year-old Mohammed Rahman, has fallen off the map, with its website being shut down and its London Docklands offices left derelict.

Sean Pargeter is the founder of hgvlgvtraining.co.uk and campaigns against these rogue firms. He believes until credible regulation is introduced, this kind of event will continue to plague our industry.